This invention relates to a stack-equipped far infrared space heater, and more particularly to a stack-equipped far infrared space heater suitable for heating a space of a relatively large volume through which hot air for fan forced space heating fails to carry well.
There has been conventionally known an oil-fired space heater in the art which is constructed in such a manner that a combustion chamber is constructed so as to extend from an upper portion of a burner arranged in a housing toward an upper portion of the housing. Now, such a conventional oil-fired space heater will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The space heater includes a burner 110 arranged in a housing 112 and a combustion cylinder 114 mounted on the housing 112 so as to define a combustion chamber 116 therein. The combustion chamber 116 is formed so as to communicate with the burner 110. The space heater also includes a guard 118 mounted on the housing 112 so as to surround the combustion cylinder 114. The guard 118 is mounted on an upper end thereof with a top plate 120, which cooperates with the guard 118 to cover the combustion cylinder 114. The combustion cylinder 114 is mounted on an upper end thereof with an upper plate 122.
The space heater further includes a convection fan 124 arranged between the upper plate 122 of the combustion cylinder 114 and the top plate 120 of the guard 118 so as to carry out convention of ambient air or air in a room in which the space heater is placed. Thus, the convection fan 124 functions to blow ambient air against the upper plate 122 of the combustion cylinder 114, to form an air stream in a whole circumferential direction of the space heater. The combustion cylinder 114 is formed with slit-like elongated holes or through-holes, which permit combustion gas in the combustion chamber 116 to be discharged therethrough to an outside of the combustion cylinder 116. In this instance, the above-described air stream formed by the convection fan 124 prevents upward flowing of the thus-discharged combustion gas, resulting in the combustion gas being forcibly directed outwardly in the whole circumferential direction of the combustion cylinder 114 while being kept hot.
The combustion cylinder 114 is provided therein with a red-heated element 126 in a manner to be suspended from the upper plate 122 of the combustion cylinder 114. The red-heated element 126 is red-heated by combustion heat generated from the burner 110, to thereby outwardly discharge heat rays via the above-described through-holes of the combustion cylinder 114.
In FIG. 3, reference numerals 128, 130 and 132 designate a combustion fan, a fuel pump and an atomizing nozzle, respectively.
The conventional oil-fired space heater thus constructed is adapted to be placed at a central region in a space to be heated unlike a fan forced space heater including a convection fan arranged on a rear side of a housing, so that many people may warm themselves while gathering about the heater.
Space heating by such a conventional oil-fired space heater is mainly attained by hot air heated by combustion in the burner; because most of heat rays radiated from the red-heated element 126 other than heat rays permeating via the through-holes of the combustion cylinder 114 are blocked by the combustion cylinder 114, so that heat rays emitted from the element 126 fail to significantly contribute to space heating contrary to expectation. Also, hot air discharged outwardly in all directions from the combustion cylinder 114 is rapidly reduced in flow velocity with an increase in distance from the combustion cylinder 114. Thus, the conventional oil-fired spaced heater is unsuitable for heating a space substantially open or a space of a large volume.
Further, a solid fuel stove in which coal or wood is used as fuel therefor and an upright pot-type stove in which kerosine is used as fuel therefor have been conventionally used for space heating. The stoves each include a stack mounted on a side wall of a combustion cylinder and arranged so as to extend to an exterior of a room in which it is placed. Combustion gas is guided from the stove through the stack to the exterior.
However, the conventional stoves described above fail to increase a heat discharge area due to its structural restriction. Also, they cause combustion gas to be exhausted to the exterior while keeping a temperature of the exhausted combustion gas high, leading to a deterioration in heating efficiency. Further, they continue to discharge incomplete combustion gas for a period of time before combustion is rendered stable after ignition, resulting in discharge of the combustion gas to the exterior through the stack being unavoidable.
A burner which has been recently developed is constructed into a structure of the rotary atomizing type, the pressure spraying type or the like, to thereby ensure stable combustion right after ignition of the burner, resulting in substantially preventing discharge of bad odor and generation of incomplete combustion gas to a room even when combustion gas is exhausted to the room. This permits a fan forced space heater to be put into practice which is so constructed that a combustion cylinder is configured into a porous structure while incorporating such a burner in the space heater, resulting in ensuring heat radiation from a red-heated element and discharge of hot air in all directions from the combustion cylinder. Nevertheless, the fan forced space heater is suitable only for heating a space of a limited size or volume. Also, it fails to ensure satisfactory heating in a drafty space or a substantially open space.
Further, there has been conventionally proposed a space heater which is adapted to be set at a central portion of a space and includes a stack. Unfortunately, the space heater has a heat dissipation region defined on only an outer surface of a combustion cylinder, to thereby fail to provide a sufficient heat dissipation area, leading to a reduction in heating capacity. In order to address the problem, it is required that a burner increased in heat generation is incorporated in the space heater. This leads to a large-sizing of the space heater and an increase in manufacturing cost thereof.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to develop a space heater which is capable of providing satisfactory heating in a large space such as a factory, a large-sized tent or the like.